Having just
become an SL mom just two months ago, and with the RL controversy surrounding
breastfeeding in public; I got to wondering.
Should SL moms be able to breastfeed in public if they so chose and if
the venue were adult and family friendly? In our first lives it's more than
controversial for a mom to feed her baby in public if that baby is breastfed.
Even RL celebs have taken to posting and tweeting pics of themselves
breastfeeding their newborns. And yet a lot of the public would rather they
keep it private. When did something so very natural need to become something so
very taboo?

Necessity or Joy?

True that
Second Life is a virtual world...true that the babies are prim. But with the
very realism of being able to change diapers, bathe and even breastfeed our
prim babies it bears the thought, should we be able to breastfeed at adult
venues if we so wished to? Most SL
residents most likely haven't even thought of this. Perhaps the thought is even
a silly one seeing as our prim babies do not require care as they will not die
or get sick(for most types like Zooby) And yet, I am sure that most SL parents
became parents to add a form of realistic family to their second lives. With
breastfeeding being something that is not only natural but a joy to most RL
moms, it certainly is a joy to those of us who choose to breastfeed in SL.
While we could keep this private, a moment shared with our SL spouse or father
of our SL child, wouldn't it be lovely if we could breastfeed our child in
public at venues where it would meet TOS standards?

Interview with SL moms, moms
to be and SL dads:

Becca Drascol: So if a venue were adult and family
friendly, Should SL moms be able to breastfeed in public?

DaeLove89 Resident: I don’t see why not....I feel like if there were
questions about anything

its a natural
thing..even in SL. People go to clubs and stuff and pay for the dancers to get
naked for fun..I don’t see a problem with moms breastfeeding.

Becca Drascol:If a venue were adult
and family friendly, Should SL moms be able to breastfeed in public?

ChantalRouge1684 Resident: I would say depending on where they
are. Like, I think there

should be a
place for that in case it is needed. And
if there aren't those then I would bring bottles with me.

Becca Drascol: If a venue were adult and family friendly, Should SL moms be
able to breastfeed in public?

Canaille Silverfall: I'm all for breastfeeding in public. Even in SL It's
a totally natural thing.

Becca Drascol:If a venue were adult
and family friendly, Should SL moms be able to breastfeed in public?

DragonMaster Mistwalker: Much as I feel RL if that's what they
wanna do why not.

scarelett
Corral whom I met through a close SL friend not only firmly believes in
breastfeeding in public in SL but also has her own Zooby adoption agency,
Corral Adoptions. A lovely family coziness is what I liked the most as we
spoke. The venue deserves a second look but for this time around the focus was
on SL moms. But to check out the babies up for adoption check out the SLURL
below.

So overall it
was my experience of those I talked with, of whom are parents or about to be
parents in SL...all were in support of breastfeeding moms. As a RL mom of two,
SL mom of one, I too feel a mom should be able to enjoy breastfeeding, even if
that were to be in a public place where it would be felt that breastfeeding is
what it should be, natural and a part of motherhood. For a lot of residents SL
is no different, we play it as we would do our real lives. We nurture our SL
children as we would a real child and show them the love and care that any
child would need.